MANILA - The Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday has officially submitted to the Comelec chairman their recommendation to the award the 2010 poll automation project to the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (Smartmatic/TIM) consortium.

Among the recommendations include the immediate issuance of Notice to Proceed for the manufacture of 82,200 automated machines for use in the polls.

The SBAC said the delay in the bidding is only two weeks, and that this delay in the calendar may be recovered within the month of June.

All documents submitted by Smartmatic/TIM have been verified in the post-qualification screening by the committee.

SBAC chair Atty. Ferdinand Rafanan said the Comelec will proceed with preparations for the 2010 poll automation despite the passage of House Resolution 1109, calling for a constitutional assembly in the House of Representatives, which critics say could jeopardize the polls.